M. L. Carr ‘73, Greg Jackson ’74, World B. Free ‘76, Ben Strong ‘08, Clay Henson ‘10, Rhett Bonner ‘10, and Tyler Sanborn ‘10 were all Guilford basketball players who have enjoyed great success on the court in the last thirty years.

This year, like every other, a new player has to step up and lead the team. One player comes to everyone’s mind: sophomore Josh Pittman.

“Josh is one of the most skilled basketball players in the ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference),” said head coach Tom Palombo. “He is one of the best shooters in the league and is a good ball handler.”

Last year, as a first-year player, Pittman was fourth on the team in scoring, second in three-point shooting percentage and second in free throw shooting percentage.

“The first time I played with Josh in the summer league … in Winston, I knew he was going to be able to help us out immediately,” said Sanborn. “Last year he didn’t really have a chance to show all that he can do, but I think he’ll really start to shine this year.”

An aspect of his game that doesn’t show up in the stat book is his confidence.

“This young man has a tremendous amount of confidence,” said Palombo. “When he walks on the court he trusts his abilities, and it makes him and his teammates’ games better.”

Playing at a high skill level is nothing new to Pittman though.

As a senior at Trinity High School in High Point, N.C., Pittman averaged 25 points a game and was regarded as one of the best players in North Carolina. In his last year, his team won the state championship and he walked away with the Most Valuable Player Award.

“He was an outstanding player in high school and he was sought after by many colleges,” said Palombo. “Josh liked the school and players here and he wanted to be part of a special program.”

“I really liked the basketball program here and how big-time it is getting,” said Pittman. “I wanted to be on a team that could fight for a national championship. Also, I like how it’s not too far from my home town of High Point and that way my followers through high school can still come support me. This is a great place and gives me a good opportunity to do what I really want to do after college.”

Coming to Guilford also gave Pittman the chance to play with Sanborn and Bonner, both of whom are playing on profession teams now. These two players were essential in his development in the game.

“It has definitely helped me learn and develop as a player,” said Pittman. “After watching them succeed it has carved a path for me, as I want to become the best player I can be. It’s almost like motivation, because I want to try to outdo them.”

With both of these players leaving, Pittman will have to take on a hefty load and the Quakers are depending on his play and leadership. Throughout the season he will be expected to take on more and more responsibility for the team.

Throughout the last five years the men’s basketball program has become a powerhouse in the ODAC conference and throughout Division III. They have posted back-to-back third place finishes in the Division III championship tournament, and last year, they were the ODAC tournament champions.

“Josh will thrive in this new system and he has the potential to be one of the best players we’ve had here in a long time,” said Palomobo. “We know Josh’s game will make this whole team better and we expect to be successful.”

His calm composure and easy-going attitude make Josh perfect for this type of pressure, and his reliability has become valued.

“A great thing about Josh is consistency,” said Palombo. “You never have many ups or downs and you can come to count on Josh always showing up.

“Josh is a just a goofy kid,” said Sanborn. “He’s a cool guy and I enjoyed being around him while he’s been at Guilford. I hope that he works very hard, because I know he’ll do big things at Guilford College if he applies himself to be the best he can be.”

The season ahead holds many questions on how the Quakers are going to respond to the graduation of three great players last May. As the point guard, Pittman will be asked to lead the team and continue building on the accomplishments these three graduates achieved during their time at Guilford.

“I think this year’s team can be as good as we want to be,” said Pittman. “We always set our goals high that way we can have something to shoot for. It should be interesting as we are taking it one step at a time. Some goals that we have are winning another conference championship and making another deep run in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. We are going to surprise a lot of people.”

This season returning players will be counted on to step up. New players will have to fit in to a different system and will be asked to adapt quickly.

Success is still imminent.